Pin tumbler lock cylinder assembly



United States Patent 3,303,678 PIN TUMBLER LOCK CYLINDER ASSEMBLY Zoltan J. Bernard, Allen Park, and Louis J. Goppold,

Highland Park, Mich., assignors to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 413,209 2 Claims. (Cl. 70-373) Thisinvention relates to a pin tumbler lock cylinder assembly; more particularly, it relates to such an assembly for use as the door lock for an automobile.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pi-n tumbler lock cylinder assembly.

A further object is to provide an improved door lock for an automobile.

A more specific object is to provide a door lock for an automobile having improved water sealing, whereby to substantially preclude freezing of the pin tumblers.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and from the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a pin tumbler lock cylinder assembly embodying features of the invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a view taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1.

The illustrated lock cylinder is of the pin tumbler type and includes a cylindrical plug and a case 30. Plug 10 is rotatably received in a horizontal cylindrical bore 32 provided in a main body portion 34 of case 30. A shutter 14 yieldably blocks access to a vertical keyway 12 provided in plug 10. Shutter 14 is maintained in its position at the entrance to the keyway 14 by a ring shaped cover member 16 fitted over the left end of plug 10, as

viewed in FIGURE 1. An escutcheon plate 18 suitably 3 secured to main body portion 34 of case 30 prevents axially displacement of plug 10 relative to case 30. An 0- ring 35 is disposed between cover plate 16 and the adjacent portion of escutcheon plate 18 to prevent the entrance of water into the interior of the lock.

The right hand end of plug 10, as viewed in FIGURE 1, has a hub portion 22 mounting the usual lever 24 for actuation of the door latch mechanism (not shown) upon rotative movement of the plug 10. A washer 26 prevents axial displacement of lever 24 and an O-ring 28 disposed between lever 24 and case 30 prevents penetration of water into the interior of the lock.

Case 30, in addition to main body portion 34, includes a column portion 36 upstanding from the main body portion 34. A plurality of aligned vertical bores 38 are provided in column portion 36. Bores 38 open at their upper ends at the upper end of column portion 36 and at their lower ends in horizontal bore 32 in alignment with bores 39 in plug 10. The usual upper and lower tumblers 40 and 42 are slidably disposed in aligned bores 38 and 39. Coil springs 44, received in bores 38, normally press tumblers 40 and 42 downwardly to seat lower tumblers 42 against a shoulder 45 in keyway 12. When the proper key is inserted in keyway 12, the tumblers are selectively cammed upwardly in known manner to free plug 10 for unlatching rotative movement relative to case 30.

Column portion 36 of case 30 is rectangular in plan view and is provided, at a location spaced downwardly 3,303,678 Patented Feb. 14, 1967 "ice from its upper end, with a shoulder 46 extending completely around the column portion, to divide it vertically into a lower portion 48 and an upper, necked down portion 50. The four side Walls of portion 50 will be seen to present an endless substantially vertical surface 52.

A cup shaped cap 54 fits over upper column portion 50. Cap member 54 is rectangular in plan view to match the rectangular shape of column portion 50 and includes a base portion 56, overlying bores 38 to provide a backing for springs 44, lengthwise side walls 60, and transverse side walls 62. Side walls 60 and 62 will be seen to together constitute an endless side wall portion which, with cap 54 in place, completely surrounds, and tightly hugs, endless vertical surface 52 to prevent entry of water into the pin tumbler chambers.

The lengthwise side walls 60 of cap 54 extend downwardly beyond the lower edge of transverse side walls 62 and seat at their lower edges in a pair of upwardly opening lengthwise grooves 64 provided in shoulder 46. After assembly of cap 54 on case 30, the lengthwise side walls of column portion 36 are pinched together at 66 to securely clamp cap 54 on column portion 50.

The present invention will be seen to provide an efiicient and simple arrangement for minimizing the entry of water into the interior of a pin tumbler type lock.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detailed, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the disclosed embodiment without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A pin tumbler lock assembly comprising:

(A) a cylindrical plug;

(B) a case including (1) a main body portion having a horizontal cylindrical bore rotatably receiving said plug and (2) a rectangular column portion upstanding from said main body portion and presenting at its side walls, adjacent its upper end, an endless substantially vertical circumferential surface, said column portion further including a plurality of vertical bores opening at their lower ends in said horizontal bore and at their upper ends at the upper end of said column;

(C) a cup-shaped rectangular cap fitted over the upper end of said column portion and having (1) a base portion overlying said vertical bores and (2) an endless side wall portion extending downwardly from said base portion to completely surround said endless vertical surface, the lengthwise sides of said endless wall portion extending downwardly beyond the lower edges of the transverse sides of said endless wall portion; and

(D) means defining horizontal upwardly opening grooves along each lengthwise side of said column portion below said endless surface thereon for receipt of the extended lower edges of the lengthwise sides of said endless wall portion of said cap, whereby to maintain said cap in a sealing position overlying said column portion to preclude entry of water into said vertical bores.

r 3 t 4 2. A pin tumbler lock assembly according to claim 1 References Cited by the Examiner wherein: D P (E) said column portion is stepped immediately below UNITE STATES ATENTS said endless surface to define a horizontal shoulder 2,695,645 11/1954 Tupper 220*42 X portion at each lengthwise side of said column por- 2877638 3/1959 F i 70 373 X tion; 3,209,568 10/1965 Patriquin 70373 (F) said grooves are formed in said shoulder portions; FOREIGN PATENTS and 845,387 8/1960 Great Britain.

(G) the walls of said shoulder portions outwardly of said grooves are pinched together following assem- 10 bly of said cap to clamp said extended lower edges EDWARD-C ALLEN Examiner Within said grooves. P. TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PIN TUMBLER LOCK ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: (A) A CYLINDRICAL PLUG; (B) A CASE INCLUDING (1) A MAIN BODY PORTION HAVING A HORIZONTAL CYLINDRICAL BORE ROTATABLY RECEIVING SAID PLUG AND (2) A RECTANGULAR COLUMN PORTION UPSTANDING FROM SAID MAIN BODY PORTION AND PRESENTING AT ITS SIDE WALLS, ADJACENT ITS UPPER END, AN ENDLESS SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL CIRCUMFRERENTIAL SURFACE, SAID COLUMN PORTION FURTHER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL BORES OPENING AT THEIR LOWER ENDS IN SAID HORIZONTAL BORE AND AT THEIR UPPER ENDS AT THE UPPER END OF SAID COLUMN; (C) A CUP-SHAPED RECTANGULAR CAP FITTED OVER THE UPPER END OF SAID COLUMN PORTION AND HAVING (1) A BASE PORTION OVERLYING SAID VERTICAL BORES AND (2) AN ENDLESS SIDE WALL PORTION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID BASE PORTION TO COMPLETELY SURROUND SAID ENDLESS VERTICAL SURFACE, THE LENGTHWISE SIDES OF SAID ENDLESS WALL PORTION EX- 